What do I need to know as a single parent?

Mom Answers

When I got pregnant my boyfriend of 2 years metaphorphisized into the "devil". He literally turned into someone I did not know. He wasn't suppotive at all. He wanted me to abort her. He kept reminding me every day "You got till 15 weeks to get rid of it" finally I yelled at him and told him "Ready or not, here she comes. I'm keeping her" Then he said "Well I can't gaurantee that I'll be around. And how the hell do you know your having a girl?"
I just knew I was having a girl. I went through the pregnancy and birth alone. He abandoned me alone crying in my bed when I was 2 months pregnant. I worked right through up until the night before I gave birth. I worked as a janitor (sub-contracting) after business hours, so I was spared the humiliation of witnessing the pitiful looks I imagine the staff would give me. Anyways, I saved money for my baby. I bought everything she needed. HBaby and I are doing awesome now. I'm so happy. I finished my degree in business and have an awesome career.

I have a 4 year old daughter a 6 year old daughter and a 12 year old son and I am 6 months pregnant with a baby girl, and my husband was in a car acident and passed away. I didnt even know that i was pregnant when my husband passed. This has been so difficult for the kids and me, i cry every day and try not to let the kids see my pain. But we are doing alright. I have a really good job being a lawyer, and my my family is great my younger sister who is 24 lives with me and helps me all the time. It's hard and I havent even had my baby yet but i know that it is going to be okay. This baby is god's gift to me telling me that life isn't so bad after all. You will be fine I promise, you will see yur baby for the first time and say wow it really was worth everything that I went throug

I think you will be just fine just put as much time and focus on being a wonderful mom as you possibly can> It is wonderful to have both parents but thats not always a realistic option for everybody and thats just fine there are millions of healthy happy children raised in single parent homes all the time, so don't worry just know that there will be tons of responsiblities and tough times through the years but never give up because that beautiful precious child will always love you and you will always love him or her and that will always make things worth while! Good Luck girl you will do great!! :)

...I must also say that with this situation I have found a sense of pride and confidence. My son is my EVERYTHING, and he is a beautiful, bright eyed, extremely curious, heart melting, loving lo to be a mommy to. Being a single parent is NOT the end of the world. Please know and understand that staying around someone that makes you miserable just for the sake of being a "family" is NOT healthy! If you are in a situation that you are unhappy in then imagine what your kids or unborn child feels. It is better to walk away from terrible treatment and abuse from your partner than have your children witness it and continue the cycle when they become older.

...So now I am 8 weeks pregnant with another baby. My first is such a blessing to me that I am truly excited about this pregnancy even though I know I'm going through it alone again with no support (not even financial) from the father. I am so happy that I finished college and am fully able to support my baby (soon to be babies) by myself. All my happiest memories with my daughter are when my ex isn't involved. Having a non-stressful and chaos free environment for your child is so important. Being a single mother is hard, but is the most amazing part of my life. It took me almost a year to find a balance in my life with working full time and being a full time single parent. I'd say the biggest downfall is not having time for yourself and being so young.

Single parenthood is something many of you came by as your childs other parent left the relationship. My daughter will never even have that.. as I am a single parent by choice with the help of a sperm bank. It isn't easy, and I am exhausted, but wish I had done it 5 years ago. I love my little girl and hope she understands my choice to go it alone someday. I wish for a father in her life,but I have never had any luck dating... and don't see that changing any time soon.

My exfiance couldn't grow up and cheated on me with another girl in drunken stupidity one night while our son was 5 months old. She got pregnant and had an abortion and I found out I was pregnant again a few weeks later. But he still continued the drugs and childish behavior that a father was not. So I left him. I just turned 19 years old and I will just say that while being a single teen mom is difficult, waking up in the morning to my sons smiling face and feeling his little arms wrap around me when I walk into the house makes it all worth it. It's been about 5 months since we split up, and while his father desperately tries to get me back, he is still not the role model my son needs. Taking him back would not be easier, it would make things more difficult. I'd rather be single than marry a childish man.

my sons father and i were together a year and he cheated on me so we didnt talk for mths an then my bday came around and i got pregnat with my son and he was there the whole time i was pregnat but he didnt have a job so i wasthe1 working an i would come home my legs would be so swollen i would cry and beg him to rub them and he would just role over and go to sleep.he was so cold when i was pregnat he only went ot 1 obgyn appt he didnt even go when i was finding out he sex of the baby,my mom was there for me most of the time.an after i had him we just faught all the time and he finally got a job and went to go live at his moms and my son is three mths old and he went weeks without seeing him he would get paid and tell me he would get our son diapers and would never show.it kills me that he doesnt want to be apart but i dont need some1 in my sons life who want to be a part time dad i'm doing great on my own!I LOVE MY SON!..JOSEPH LAWHORN IS HIS NAME!AKA:PART TIME DADDY

I am a single mom of 3 sons: twins who are almost 4, and a 7 week old. It's NOT easy! But it's the most rewarding work I've ever done! The main things for a single parent to remember... hmm. Well, first of all, make sure you have someone to call if you just cant take anymore. There will probably come a time when the baby's crying, you're exhausted, and some other little thing is going to set you off and make you feel like you can't do it anymore! You need a friend or relative you can call to give you some help, or even a 20 minute break. If you don't have anyone, it's OK to put the baby in his/her crib and just take 5 minutes for yourself! Try to remember that being a parent is the most important role you'll ever play, but it's not the ONLY role! You're also a woman (or perhaps a man...) and you have to recognize that side, too! Get a baby sitter every once in a while and do something just for you! When it seems too hard to take, another day will come and go, and you'll be ok!

This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

This site is published by BabyCenter, L.L.C., which is responsible for its contents as further described and qualified in the Terms of Use.